Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: While recording his statement in the Avenfield reference against him and his family, ousted Premier Nawaz has claimed that his greatest crime was his decision to not endorse former dictator Pervez Musharraf’s second martial law.

Nawaz was speaking while responding to the final five questions of the 128 question questionnaire the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) handed him, and claimed that Asif Ali Zardari approached him with a message to endorse Musharraf’s martial law.

Nawaz claims he was urged to make Parliament endorse the martial law and said, “The message was conveyed to me by Asif Ali Zardari. However, I refused to do it.”

He also added, “This is the conclusion of my actual crime.”

Nawaz also said that an officer from a secret organisation approached him and asked him to resign, or he would be sent on an ‘extended leave.’

“If only you could summon the souls of Liaquat Ali Khan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto and ask them what happened,” he lamented, further adding, “If only all PMs could be summoned and asked why they were not allowed to complete their constitutional tenure?”

The PML-N leader also challenged the judiciary claiming, “If only you could ask all senior judges why they welcomed every martial law. If only you could call generals and ask why they are playing with the constitution?”

Nawaz also claimed that he faced increasing pressure after he initiated treason proceedings against former President Musharraf.

This is the third day when Nawaz has been before the accountability court to record his responses in the Avenfield references against him and his family.

NAB launched the references against Nawaz after the Supreme Court initiated proceedings against Nawaz in the historic but contentious Panama Papers case verdict of July 28, 2017.